The righteous one, even if he dies prematurely, will find rest. For whom, or from whom, is there in fact rest in this world, if there are trials on every side and, when we are spared these, temptations are everywhere? Indeed, this world should be feared, whether it threatens or seduces. But if one fears both God and the world, he will despise the latter, so as to better guard himself against it. Therefore, if we want to be at rest when death comes to surprise us, let us be righteous.

The Christian who has lived in the fear of God, at whatever age he dies, is not swept away by a bitter and untimely death^[1] but crosses over supported by a maturity approved by God. Indeed, in the book of Wisdom we read, Old age is not honored for length of time or measured by number of years. Wisdom, rather, is a person’s gray hair, and a blameless life is old age. Having become dear to God, this one was loved by him.

The righteous person lives a happy old age. It does not say long but happy,^[1] because the righteous person grows old happily. This is not the case, however, for any of the godless, even if they were to live longer than the oldest stag. In fact, long life is common to both the wise and fools. To live well, however, belongs to the wise person, whose old age is venerated and for whom advanced age is a blameless life. It also says that it is not calculated by the number of years or by gray hair but by wisdom. Therefore, one who has been wise ages well.

If it is said of the righteous person and of the member of the church, Gray hair is a person’s wisdom,^[1] why is it not said of the heretic’s iniquity, A person’s gray hair is his folly? Of this old age Daniel said to the old man, You have grown old in evil.^[2] Therefore, in the book of the Shepherd (if anyone is willing to accept that it be read), the church appears to Hermas first with gray hair, then as a young woman and a bride, with ornate hair.^[3]

Who would deny that adolescence and, in the beginning, youth itself, churn under the delusion of the various passions? Or that when a more mature age arrives, inasmuch as the season of youthful lusts fades away, it gives way to tranquility, and the boat of the exhausted soul arrives at quiet ports? The violent movements of our adolescence, therefore, are calmed in the tranquil season of old age.

We see also that Enoch was taken away, because he was pleasing to God, as the divine Scriptures attest in Genesis: Then Enoch walked with God and was no longer, because God had taken him.^[1] Because he was pleasing before God, he was worthy to be taken away from the evil of this world. But the Holy Spirit also teaches through Solomon that those who are pleasing to God are taken first and freed from here earlier, so they would not be tainted by too long a sojourn in this world.

You will say, How much and how often have I prayed, and I have not been answered! But what did you ask for? Perhaps you asked for the death of your enemy. And . . . what if he asked for yours, as well? The one who created you also created him. You are a human being, and he is too, but God is the judge. He has listened to both of you and answered neither. Are you sad because your prayer against your enemy has not been granted? Rejoice, rather, that your enemy’s prayer has not been granted, to your harm. But, you say, I did not ask for this. I did not ask for the death of my enemy but the life of my son. What evil is there in that? You asked for nothing evil, in your opinion. But what would you say if he was taken so that wickedness would not corrupt his soul? But, you object, he was a sinner! And this is why I wanted him to live, so that he would amend his life. You wanted him to live so that he would become better. And what would you say if someone told you that God knew that he would have become worse if he had lived? How do you know which would have been better for him, to die or to live? If, then, you do not know, return to your heart, and leave every decision to God. You will say to me, But, then, what should I do? What should I ask for in prayer? What should you ask for? What the Lord, the heavenly teacher, taught us. Invoke God as God, love God as God. There is nothing better than him. Desire him, long for him!

We should not think that your bishop, our brother, has departed here early and that he lived only a little while. It is right to say that he did not live only a little while if we realize that, as much as we may say of him, there is still more to say (even if, being finite, what is much here will be judged as though it were nothing). And he has not lived so little, if, instead of counting the years, we think of his works. Who knows how many people, though living many years, have not done even half of what he did in a few years? To want to keep him here, then, is nothing other than to envy him his happiness. Now, as human beings, we are saddened for the man. What would we do if we did not act like human beings? We are sad in a human way, therefore, for a man’s departure. But as we heard in the divine lesson, In a short time, he fulfilled a long career. But, then, let us count those times as one counts a day. All that he did among you, exhorting, speaking, offering himself for your imitation—preserve it so as to praise and adore God, and you will be his most splendid memorial. Indeed, what matters for him is not that he be hidden in a marble tomb but that he be built up in your hearts—that he who has been buried would live in living sepulchers. Indeed, your memory is his tomb. He lives near to God, to be happy. He lives near to you, so that you would be happy.

His soul in fact was pleasing to God, because he hastened to take him away from iniquity. Precisely with these words the sacred Scripture teaches us that in this world, it is not a long life that matters but a good life. To know the merits, as much as we can, of a deceased person, you must closely observe not how long he lived but how he lived. In fact, just as in a wicked life, the longer one lives the more punishments are multiplied for the one who lives in sin, so in a good life, though it is over in a brief period of time, a great, unending glory is gained for the one who lives well. A wicked life, then, leads to increasing ill temper in bitter, immature old people, whereas a good life leads young people, who die mature, to the kingdom of God.

Similarly, in the book of Wisdom it says, Because the grace of God is in his saints. It is said as a general rule that no one has ever been or is holy without the grace of God. But so this grace might be in the saints, to confirm them, they receive it freely through the faith that comes from God. They did not have it prior to faith. As David says, You will save them without price.^[1]

In you, Lord, I have taken refuge. I will never be put to shame.^[1] I am terrified, you say, of that confusion that lasts forever. There is a certain temporal confusion that is useful: the disturbance of a soul that realizes its sins, is horrified by what it sees and in that horror is ashamed and corrects what it is ashamed of. For this reason the apostle says, But what fruit did you reap then of the things of which you are now ashamed?^[2] He says, then, that those who are already believers should blush not for the gifts they have now but for the sins of the past. The Christian does not fear this confusion. Indeed, if he had not known this confusion, he would know the eternal confusion. What is the eternal confusion? When what is said will take place: Their iniquities will rise up against them to accuse them. And the entire herd of the wicked, their accusing iniquities before them, will be on the left, as goats separated from the sheep. They will hear, Be gone, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.^[3] They will ask, Why? I was hungry, and you did not give me to eat.^[4] They despised the hungry Christ when they did not feed him. They gave him no drink when he was thirsty or clothes when he was naked. They did not take him in when he was a traveler or visit him when he was sick. They thus despised him. When he begins to point out all these sins, they will be covered with confusion, and this confusion will be eternal.

No one, when reading that the wicked will marvel at the sudden appearance of an unexpected salvation, should think that for those who end the present life in sin, salvation will sooner or later be conferred on them by divine gift. It in fact calls the salvation of the righteous unexpected,^[1] because if the wicked do not hope that it will be given to them, it nevertheless remains for the righteous, who do hope for it. Thus blessed David, in a psalm, sang of the hope and of the salvation of the righteous as a single reality, saying, The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord, their refuge in time of distress. The Lord comes to their help and rescues them. He frees them from the godless and saves them, because they have taken refuge in him.^[2]

After the light disappears, there remains only the recompense for merits. Who in the underworld sings your praises?^[1] must be understood to refer to forgiveness. As Solomon says of the godless, Repentant, they will say to one another, groaning in anguish of spirit, etc. In fact, it is clear that the rich man who saw Lazarus at rest confessed his sins,^[2] but his plea was not granted. That is because confession is to be made in this world, in which one also finds forgiveness.

First, the punishments and the torments of sinners are decreed. The righteous will see their fate and understand the difference between a good and a bad life and from how many evils they have escaped by living well. And those condemned to punishment will see the righteous in glory and exclaim, And we fools thought their life was madness! After having thus seen the end of sinners, the righteous will be exalted and lifted up to heaven so as to inherit the earth.^[1] Now the psalm speaks and comforts us concerning the problem that almost constantly disturbs the heart of every person. Because often, when we suffer and see that the wicked and impious live surrounded by good fortune in this life—full of success, abounding in riches and honors, having fruitful and numerous children—we are scandalized and murmur in our hearts, Where is God’s justice? If human life were ruled by divine providence, would God allow this wicked and godless person to rise to such a degree of prosperity? That is why the divine word, speaking through the mouth of the righteous, says, I have seen a godless person—not merely exalted but exalted and raised beyond all measure, and not above any tree but above the cedars of Lebanon.^[2] He speaks of an exceedingly tall tree and a mountain above all, and yet, having seen all this, he says, I passed by, and look—he was no more.^[3]

This is the unexpected salvation: they considered the life of the right-eous madness, and though insane, they believed themselves to be sane and did not expect the retribution of divine justice. They therefore neglected to correct their lives. In fact, they delighted to live here in luxury for a brief time, not believing that after a little while they would be tormented with eternal punishments. For this reason, seeing the righteous in the glory of the children of God, that glory about which blessed Paul says, We live in it, and we boast in the hope of the glory of God,^[1] the wicked will be amazed at the glory of the righteous, that is, of the children of God, because the righteous are children of God.

The unhoped-for salvation, that is, not hoped for by the wicked, will surely be given to the righteous, not to the wicked. Indeed, it will not be given to those who, not hoping for it, live badly, but to those who, justly hoping for it and abstaining from carnal desires, observe the salutary precepts of blessed Peter, who says, Beloved, I exhort you, as strangers and pilgrims, to abstain from the desires of the flesh that war on the soul. Let your conduct among the pagans be irreproachable.^[1]

What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is Spirit.^[1] The nature of the Spirit is invisible, that of the flesh, visible. Thus generation according to the flesh occurs visibly, with visible growth—one born of the flesh grows with the passage of time. Generation according to the Spirit, by contrast, takes place completely invisibly. We see one who is baptized descend into the font, be immersed in the water and come out again, but we do not in any way see what effect the bath of regeneration has had.^[2] Only the piety of the faithful knows that he descends into the water a sinner but comes out purified; he descends a child of death but comes out a child of the resurrection; he descends a child of transgression but comes out a child of reconciliation; he descends a child of wrath^[3] but comes out a child of mercy; he descends a child of the devil but comes out a child of God. Only Mother Church, who generates him, knows this, but to the eyes of the foolish it seems that he comes out of the font just as he went in, and the whole thing is just a game. Consequently, at the end, seeing the glory of the saints, groaning in torment they will say, Here are the ones whom we once derided and who were the target of our insults. How is it that they are numbered among the children of God? And the apostle John says, Beloved, now we are the children of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we will be.^[4] In fact, what is born of the Spirit is Spirit,^[5] because the one who is regenerated by water and the Spirit^[6] is invisibly changed into a new person, and from being carnal he becomes spiritual.^[7] And he is rightly called not only spiritual but even spirit, because as the essence of the spirit is invisible to our senses, likewise one who is renewed by the grace of God, in a way invisible to our eyes, becomes spiritual and a child of God, though he seems to all to be visibly flesh and a child of human beings.

I would call the old sun of this world the one that at times disappears, at times is blocked by walls, at times is hidden by clouds. I would call the old sun that which is subject to vanity, fears corruption, is afraid of judgment. Indeed, it is written, The sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood.^[1] I would call old, one who partakes in human crimes, who does not flee adultery, who does not refrain from homicide and, while no person wants to be mixed up in it when a crime comes to light, he alone is always involved. Since it is obvious that this is old, we do not find a new one other than Christ the Lord, of whom it is written, The Sun of righteousness will rise for us.^[2] The prophet also speaks of him, impersonating sinners, The light of righteousness did not shine for us, nor did the sun ever rise for us. In fact, when the entire world was oppressed by the darkness of the devil and a haze, full of crimes, covered the world, this Sun deigned in the last days, when the night was almost here, to bring about the dawn of his birth. Beforehand—before the light, before the Sun of righteousness would shine—he sent an oracle of the prophets, like an announcement of the morning, as it is written, I sent my prophets before the light.^[3] Then he himself shone with his rays, through the brightness of his apostles, bathing the world with a light of truth so great that no one would fall in the darkness of the devil. This is the new sun that penetrates closed places, reveals what is most intimate, searches hearts. This is the new sun that by its spirit gives life to the dead, restores the corrupt and raises what is already lost. By its warmth, it cleans what is filthy, strengthens what is weak, burns what is vicious.

Those who worship the sun will say, The sun has not risen for us. While they worship the sun that he makes rise on the good and the wicked,^[1] the sun that enlightens only the good has not risen for them. Therefore, they fashion new gods,^[2] each one as he wishes. Indeed, what would prevent the workshop of an erring heart from giving the form he likes to his own fantasies?

One must not believe that we owe religious cult to the heavenly lights or must worship them because they are sometimes used as images to refer to the saints.^[1] We will now explain this in the name of Christ, showing how illogical it would be to want to worship the sun or the moon or the stars or the sky, because an image has been derived from them to indicate the saints. Many objects have been chosen by the inspired authors to represent the saints, but no one worships them. If in fact you wanted to worship everything symbolizing the saints, you would have to worship the mountains and the hills, given that it is written, The mountains will exult like rams and the hills like lambs.^[2] You refer to the saints, but I will speak of Christ himself. If it is written, The lion of the tribe of Judah has triumphed,^[3] why don’t you worship the lion? And the rock as well, since it is written, And the rock was Christ.^[4] If, then, you do not worship these earthly beings that symbolize Christ, even if certain images have been derived from them, you must remember that any creature that has been used to symbolize the saints is just an image and reserve your adoration for the Creator. Our Lord Jesus Christ has been called the sun. But is he perhaps this sun that the least significant animals see along with us? He is the light of which it is written, He was the true light who enlightens every person who comes into this world.^[5] Material light enlightens not only people but also quadrupeds, herds and every kind of animal. The Light that enlightens all people shines in the heart and illumines only those having an intellect.

And he will remain with the sun, and before the moon, from age to age.^[1] This speaks of the honor of the Incarnation, who remains united to the Word. He in fact sits at the right hand of the Father, reigning forever in glory. By sun is certainly meant the Word of the Father, the Son of God, who is God made man. Christ is one, out of two: two distinct natures, each perfect. Indeed, of him the godless will say, For us the sun has not risen, and the light of righteousness did not shine on us. Then, And before the moon, from age to age,^[2] and by this must also be understood what was said earlier, He will remain. Christ in fact remains before the moon, which is to say before the church, which perceives him at all times thanks to the lights of the heart. Rightly the moon can be compared with the church, which does not have a splendor of its own but in some way receives the light of the sun. Astronomers accurately explain this, among other things.

Readers must use great discernment, so as to recognize that in sacred Scripture, a particular word does not always have one and the same meaning. The sun, for example, at times has a positive meaning and at times negative. In fact, sometimes it refers to our Redeemer and sometimes to persecution. According to the testimony of the book of Wisdom, the godless in hell will say, We strayed from the way of truth, and the sun of righteousness never rose for us. And of the seed that was sown, the Lord says, The sun rose, and it was scorched,^[1] because, when persecution comes, the word that was preached dries up in the hearts of the wicked.

Then the pain of punishment will come without the fruit of repentance, regret will be fruitless and prayer useless. Too late will those who did not want to believe in eternal life believe in eternal punishment.

We must come to him who is the way, the truth and the life.^[1] And it should not surprise us that we reach, by faith, him through whom we walk in faith.^[2] Indeed, because he is the way, we run with him. And since he is our homeland, once we have finished the race^[3] we arrive where he is. In fact, being the rest and homeland of the angels according to his divinity, he became the way of pilgrims according to his humanity. As the rest and homeland of the angels, and indeed of all the faithful, in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.^[4] And as the way of pilgrims, the Word became flesh and came to dwell among us.^[5] When, after the sin of the first man, we were cast out of the earthly paradise^[6] as into a valley of tears, losing both the way and the homeland, we walked in difficult and lonely places, not knowing the way of the Lord. But not only did the good and merciful king of our homeland take it on himself to frequently send us his servants, but also he himself deigned to come down and prepare the way by which we can return to our homeland. O mortal, if you were lazy in looking for the way, the way himself deigned to look for you. If you were lazy in coming to the way, the way himself has come to you. Rise and walk.^[7] Flee the way of the world, wide and spacious,^[8] which delights for a time and damns for eternity. Run by the way of Christ, on which you will suffer for a very brief time, then rejoice forever together with the angels.

They placed their hope in corruptible things, and therefore their hope will become vain, whereas our hope will then become reality. So that God’s promise to us would remain whole, fixed and certain, let us say with hearts full of faith, Do not destroy in the end.^[1] Do not fear, therefore, that some power might ruin the promises of God. God will not spoil them, because he is true. And there is no one more powerful than him who could cause them to fail.

The proud despise the humble when they hear them speak of things that they reject. Because the proud love the things of this world, they do not concern themselves with future things and, in their malicious wickedness, attack with greater violence those who try to follow the Lord’s precepts. But at the future judgment they will experience an exchange of roles. Those who are rich and proud will be despised and the object of reproaches, as Solomon says of them: What good has our pride done for us? What has our wealth and its boasting brought us?^[1] It is clear that normal human speech would have required that it be said, Our soul is full of the reproaches of the rich and the despising of the proud. But by saying, Our soul is full. It is a reproach to the rich and a despising of the proud,^[2] this seems to be a way of speaking proper to the divine Scripture, which must not be considered mistaken but as something that has not yet been contemplated by human thought.

Now is the time of mercy, then will be the time of judgment. Why is now the time of mercy? Now he calls to the one who is far away and forgives the sins of the one who returns. He is patient with sinners, until they convert, and once they convert, he forgets the past and promises the future. He exhorts the lazy, consoles the afflicted, teaches the zealous, helps those who struggle. He abandons none of those who labor and cry out to him. He gives to those who give to him; he gives the means by which they might please him. The great time of mercy should not pass in vain, brothers and sisters—it should not pass in vain for us! The judgment will come, and then also there will be repentance, but by then it will be fruitless. Repentant, they will speak to each other, groaning in anguish of spirit (these things are written in the book of Wisdom). What has our arrogance profited us? And what good has our boasted wealth brought us? All this has passed like a shadow. Let us say now, All these things pass like a shadow. Let us say it now, fruitfully, They will pass, so we will not have to say then, without fruit, They have passed. This is therefore the time of mercy, but there will also be the time of judgment.

The posterity of the godless will perish.^[1] This is because the posterity of the godless are their works. But we again see that the child of the godless prospers in the world and, at times, becomes righteous and prospers in Christ. Observe therefore how you must understand this, so as to open the roof and come to Christ.^[2] Do not understand this carnally, because you would fall into error. But the seed of the godless, all the works of the godless, will perish; they will not bear fruit. For the time being, in fact, they will have some value, but later they will look for what they have done and not find it.

The rich person dies and finds nothing^[1]—certainly nothing of the things that he had. In fact, the sin of those things is brought with him, even if all of that for which the sins were committed is left here. Consequently, now one can boast in what he has received, exalt himself over others, be proud of having what his neighbor does not have. A time will come when he will wake up, and then he will know how empty were the things he had while he was dreaming. It often happens that someone who is poor sleeps and dreams of being rich and of thus gaining a courageous soul, rejoicing over having what he did not have and seeking to despise those by whom he had the pain of being despised. But, suddenly waking, he bemoans the image of the riches he had while he slept. Indeed, he groans continually under the weight of poverty, oppressed by the anguish of his straits and, even worse, of having been rich for a brief and useless moment. The rich of this world, who boast of what they have received, are just like this. They are incapable of doing good with their abundance. The rich are like those who sleep, but it would be good for them to awake to their poverty, because they will take nothing with them to that lasting judgment. And the higher they are exalted now, for a brief time, the more bitterly they will weep over themselves for eternity. And, according to the testimony of Wisdom, they will say at their damnation, What has our arrogance profited us? And what good has our boasted wealth brought us? All this has passed like a shadow, like a fleeting rumor. When they are already lost, they will know that the things they had were contemptible and fleeting, though when present, they seemed so great and permanent to their foolish hearts. The rich person opens his eyes too late, seeing Lazarus at rest, whom he had despised lying at his door.^[2] Then he will understand what he did not want to do, and what he lost, when he did not recognize his neighbor in the poor man. In fact, when the body sleeps in death, the soul awakens to true knowledge, and when the flesh dies, the soul is forced to see all that it had disdained to foresee. Then it will see happen what it feared, and the one who rejoiced to have a greater abundance of things than everyone else will find himself empty.

There is no doubt that the boat symbolizes the church, bearing in mind what the Holy Spirit says, through Solomon: She is like a merchant ship, securing her provisions from afar.^[1] This can be speaking of nothing other than the church for these reasons: under the guidance of the Lord, with the apostles for its pilots, being blown by the Holy Spirit, this church, by the preaching of the Word, races through the whole world. At the same time, it carries with it a treasure of inestimable value, with which it has purchased the whole human race, and indeed the whole world: the price is the blood of Christ. Solomon also speaks of this price in another passage when he says, You cannot trace the path of a ship that crosses the sea. What this means to say is that the manner of life of the church is not according to the principles of this world but according to the norms of the heavenly life, as the holy apostle reminds us: But our homeland is in heaven.^[2]

Can you find the tracks of a passing boat or of an eagle seeking its prey?^[1] As indeed the sea does not preserve the tracks of a boat, or the air, those of an eagle seeking its prey, in the same way that their tracks are not found,^[2] so the abundance of this world, when it passes, leaves no trace of happiness. It is forgotten along with what caused it. Thus Job despised all the fragility of this life, and taught us to not linger over it.